TOADtalk: Stronger Together

In chemistry there’s a concept known as the limiting reactant. It’s the idea that reactions require certain ratios of the reactants in order to proceed and that unless that ratio is just perfect, one of the materials will run out and limit how much material can be produced by a system. 

In ecology this concept is known as the limiting nutrient—often nitrogen or phosphorous—which keeps the levels of primary producers, often photosynthetic algae or plants, in check. Even when these organisms are bathed in sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water in excessive amounts—like in the ocean—it’s the dissolved nutrient that dictates just how much they can grow. The nitrogen is needed so that the plant can modify the form in which it’s found in the environment (usually the polyatomic ion nitrate) and transform it into a key component of proteins and DNA (amino group or nitrogenous bases like adenine, thymine, guanine, or cytosine). Similarly, phosphorous (in the form of phosphate polyatomic ions) is needed for the molecule that makes up the majority of cell membranes (the phospholipid) and for a different component of DNA. So even though plants and algae have the ultimate super power of photosynthesis (their lives are like the all-you-can-eat buffet of sun bathing), their success is hampered by the scarcity of these molecules, without which, plants can’t produce proteins or DNA for their everyday life and physical structure. 

The identity of the limiting reactant can change, too, as the conditions change. In environmental conditions where nitrogen levels are elevated by things like runoff from excessive fertilizer (often from agriculture or golf courses), plant and algae productivity peaks and, through another series of interactions and chemical reactions, oxygen eventually limits the productivity of the habitat. So the identity of the limiting reactant shifts from nitrogen and phosphorous in healthy ecosystems to oxygen in habitats that have excessive nutrient levels. 

While I could talk endlessly about the chemistry and biology behind these ideas, I think it’s important to connect it to all of you...just in case you’re missing the inherent beauty I see in nutrient cycling and balanced equations. 

I see these ecosystem interactions and chemical equations limited by scarce elements mirrored in our community. I really think that those of us who have different perspectives, experiences, or talents are the ones that propel this school forward and that help knit us together. It’s those same people who might feel isolated or alone because of their perceived difference, so I want to acknowledge the value and power they have here.  

Maybe it’s because I’m also aware of the weakness of homogeneity, because without difference or variation a population is incapable of adaptation or flexibility in the face of struggle. We can see that in the current banana populations, which are on the brink of extinction at the hand of the Panama disease—a fungus—really! It’s true. You should be concerned about the fate of the banana as you know it. 

On a much more serious note, Emma and Sydney’s emails last night about National Suicide Prevention Week encouraged all of you to reach out and connect when you need to and it also reminded me of the friends I have lost to suicide. Each one of them made my life and the lives of those around them better and more vibrant in unique and lasting ways. I’ll always remember how Ali seemed incapable of doing all but one of our pre-game soccer stretches (we named that one stretch after her), but still managed to look graceful and powerful on the field. And how Marco consoled me about some boy who broke my heart by aptly comparing him to a slug--it was harsh, but pretty spot-on and it did wonders for me to imagine my life, free from the slug. And Judy who never, ever compromised her big-hearted connection to individuals and to the world at large, who always thought it was the perfect time for a dance party, and who was somehow able to make hot pink or Crayola blue hair seem like her most natural hair color.  

Each of these people and all of the people in our lives who we’ve lost too soon, acted as the limiting reactant at times. They pushed us forward, made us laugh, and reminded us how good life can be when we’re connected to others.  I’d ask each of you to see what you can add to this community as you are valuable contributions and I want you to recognize how much stronger and more productive we are to have you with us.